With the Christmas shopping season entering the stretch run, Consumer Reports’ latest survey offers an interesting look at consumer attitudes.

Half of us are “enthusiastic” about the holiday shopping season, but almost one-third of Americans say they are worse off financially than they were last year, according to the Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Consumer Reports has come out with its first “Naughty & Nice Holiday List,” which highlights some of the best and worse corporate shopping policies.

“Our goal isn’t to laud one company or put down another, but to call out specific policies that we think put consumers first or put them behind the eight ball,” Tod Marks, senior editor and resident shopping expert at Consumer Reports, said in a statement.

The holiday shopping season should be a good one for consumers, retailers and unemployed workers looking for seasonal jobs, according to the retail outlook study by CIT Group Inc.

Compared to last year, retailers will stock more inventory, advertise more aggressively and offer more discounts, according to CIT’s second annual retail outlook survey. And more than two-thirds of retailers said they will be hiring more holiday workers than they did last year.

Rant$ and Rave$

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Rant$ and Rave$ will comment on the good, bad and sometimes bizarre business news in East Tennessee and around the country. Rant$ and Raves is written by News Sentinel business reporter Roger Harris, who can be reached via email or (865) 342-6342.
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